Ringed seal, ringed seal, akiba. Ringed seal Habitat and habits

young male

Ringed seal, Baltic subspecies ( Phoca hispida botnica) and Ladoga subspecies ( Phoca hispida ladogensis) are listed in the Red Book of Russia

Habitat

Ringed seal, or Akiba ( Phoca hispida) - a species of true seals, most often found in the Arctic: according to the most conservative estimates, there are about 4 million ringed seals in the world. This seal got its name due to the pattern on its fur, which consists of large quantity light rings on a dark background. Akiba is widespread in the seas of the Arctic Ocean from the Barents and White Oceans in the west to the Bering Sea in the east, it also lives in the Seas of Okhotsk and Baltic, the Strait of Tartary, the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga, and sometimes rises along the Neva to St. Petersburg. The seal lives both in the coastal zone and in the open ocean, but more often it lives in bays, straits and river mouths. This species does not make large regular migrations. IN winter period The seal lives on ice.

Appearance and nutrition

Seal- one of the smallest seals: the body length of adult individuals reaches 1.5 m, weight 40-80 kg; Baltic specimens are even larger - 140 cm and 100 kg. Males are usually somewhat larger than females. The body of the seal is short and thick, the head is small, the muzzle is slightly flattened, and the neck is so short and thick that it seems as if it is not there at all. Akiba has excellent vision, hearing and smell, which help the animal find food and hide from predators in time. Seals feed on crustaceans, mollusks and fish (spiny goby, Greenland goby, pike, navaga, salmon, salmon).

Lifestyle

Ringed seals never form colonies. Most often they stay alone, although sometimes they gather in small groups, which, however, are not very stable. All year round they spend time at sea, for which their body is very well adapted.

In summer ringed seals stay mostly in coastal waters and in some places form small beds on stones or pebble spits. In autumn, as the sea freezes, most of the animals move from the coastal zone into the depths of the sea and stay on drifting ice. A minority of animals remain off the coast for the winter and live in bays and bays. In this case, even at the beginning of the freezing of the sea, the seal makes young ice holes - holes through which it comes out of the water. There are also smaller holes, used only to breathe through them. Often the opening of the hole is covered with a thick layer of snow, in which the seal makes a hole without an exit hole to the outside. In such a convenient place she rests, being invisible to her enemies, mainly polar bears. The largest concentrations of seals are observed in the spring on drifting ice during pupping, molting and mating. This is especially true for the seas Far East, where in one day of sailing in the ice you can observe many hundreds, and sometimes thousands of animals. More often, seals lie in groups of 10-20 animals, but there are clusters of a hundred or more animals.

Reproduction

In April-May ringed seals The mating period begins, their pregnancy lasts 11 months, including a three-month latent stage. In March-April of the following year, females give birth to one large calf, whose body length reaches 50-60 cm and weighs about 4 kg. It is all covered with beautiful white thick fur, which lasts only a month and a half, giving way to ordinary gray wool, through which you can see the rings characteristic of the species. The expectant mother carefully prepares for the birth of her baby - she builds herself a reliable shelter among the snow hummocks, the entrance to which is under water, so that the newborn becomes inaccessible to predators. The baby lives in his house for about two months, feeding on his mother's milk. At the same time, the female goes hunting every day. Females reach sexual maturity at the age of four years, males at 5-7 years. The lifespan of ringed seals is about 40 years.

Subspecies

Baltic ringed seal ( Phoca hispida botnica)
White Sea ringed seal ( Phoca hispida hispida)
Ladoga ringed seal ( Phoca hispida ladogensis)
Okhotsk, or Far Eastern ringed seal ( Phoca hispida ochotensis)
Saimaa ringed seal ( Phoca hispida saimensis)

The ringed seal, akiba or ringed seal (lat. Phoca hispida) is the closest relative of the common seal, which is more often found in the Arctic: according to the most conservative estimates, there are about 4 million animals in the world. The seal got its name due to the pattern on its fur, which consists of a large number of light rings on a dark background.

The average weight of an adult ringed seal can reach 100 kg with a body length of up to 1.4 m. Moreover, males are slightly larger than females. Akiba has excellent vision, hearing and smell, which help the animal find food and hide from predators in time. The body of the seal is short and thick, the head is small, the muzzle is slightly flattened, but the neck is so short and thick that it seems as if it is not there at all.

Depending on their habitat, four subspecies of ringed seals are distinguished:

On the drifting ice floes of the Arctic Ocean you can find the White Sea ringed seal (P. h. hispida), which is considered the most widespread seal in its geographical area.
In the coldest areas Baltic Sea lives the Baltic ringed seal (P. h. botnica). She liked the coasts of Switzerland, Estonia, Finland and Russia. From time to time she makes it to Germany. This is the largest subspecies of the ringed seal.
The Ladoga ringed seal (P. h. ladogensis) has settled in the freshwater Lake Ladoga. She got here about 11 thousand years ago, when the last glacial period. At that time, the huge glacier retreated, and the previous water level changed, which did not give the seal the opportunity to return to the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Today the number of this subspecies is only 2-3 thousand individuals, which is ten times less than it was at the beginning of the last century. The Ladoga seal is included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation; hunting for it has been prohibited since 1980, but this does not in the least prevent poachers.

Finally, the Saimaa ringed seal (P. h. saimensis) settled in the freshwater Lake Saimaa. She has been living here for more than 8 thousand years, but in Lately is in danger of extinction. There are a total of 310 Saimaa seals, of which no more than 70 are females capable of fertilizing.

Ringed seals do not like noisy companies, so they never form colonies. Most often they stay alone, although sometimes they gather in small groups, which, however, are not very stable. They spend the whole year at sea, for which their bodies are very well adapted.

At the age of four years, females become sexually mature. Males are capable of procreation from the age of 5-7 years. In April-May, ringed seals begin their mating period; pregnancy lasts 11 months, including a three-month latent stage.

In March-April of the following year, females give birth to one large calf, whose body length reaches 50-60 cm and weighs about 4 kg. It is all covered with beautiful white thick fur, which lasts only a month and a half, giving way to ordinary gray wool, through which you can see the rings characteristic of the species. The expectant mother carefully prepares for the birth of a new member of the seal society: she builds herself a reliable shelter among the snow hummocks, the entrance to which is under water, so that the newborn becomes inaccessible to predators. The baby lives in his house for about two months, feeding on his mother's milk. At the same time, the female goes hunting every day. The lifespan of ringed seals is about 40 years.

Ringed seal, akiba or ringed seal (lat. Phoca hispida) is the closest relative, which is most often found in the Arctic: according to the most conservative estimates, there are about 4 million heads in the world. The seal got its name due to the pattern on its fur, which consists of a large number of light rings on a dark background.

Depending on their habitat, four subspecies of ringed seals are distinguished:

On the drifting ice floes of the Arctic Ocean you can find the White Sea ringed seal ( P.h. hispida), which is considered the most widespread seal in its geographic area.
The Baltic ringed seal lives in the coldest areas of the Baltic Sea ( P.h. botnica). She liked the coasts of Switzerland, Estonia, Finland and Russia. From time to time she makes it to Germany. This is the largest subspecies of the ringed seal.
The Ladoga ringed seal ( P.h. ladogensis). She got here about 11 thousand years ago, when the last ice age ended. At that time, the huge glacier retreated, and the previous water level changed, which did not give the seal the opportunity to return to the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Today the number of this subspecies is only 2-3 thousand individuals, which is ten times less than it was at the beginning of the last century. The Ladoga seal is included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation; hunting for it has been prohibited since 1980, but this does not in the least prevent poachers.
Finally, the Saimaa ringed seal settled in the freshwater Lake Saimaa ( P.h. saimensis). It has lived here for more than 8 thousand years, but recently it is under threat of extinction. There are a total of 310 Saimaa seals, of which no more than 70 are females capable of fertilizing.

Ringed seals do not like noisy companies, so they never form colonies. Most often they stay alone, although sometimes they gather in small groups, which, however, are not very stable. They spend the whole year at sea, for which their bodies are very well adapted.

At the age of four years, females become sexually mature. Males are capable of procreation from the age of 5-7 years. In April-May, ringed seals begin their mating period; pregnancy lasts 11 months, including a three-month latent stage.

In March-April of the following year, females give birth to one large calf, whose body length reaches 50-60 cm and weighs about 4 kg. It is all covered with beautiful white thick fur, which lasts only a month and a half, giving way to ordinary gray wool, through which you can see the rings characteristic of the species.

The expectant mother carefully prepares for the birth of a new member of the seal society: she builds herself a reliable shelter among the snow hummocks, the entrance to which is under water, so that the newborn becomes inaccessible to predators. The baby lives in his house for about two months, feeding on his mother's milk. At the same time, the female goes hunting every day. The lifespan of ringed seals is about 40 years.

3.1 Least Concern:

Appearance

The ringed seal is named for the light rings with a dark frame that make up the pattern of its fur. The length of adult animals is from 1.1 to 1.5. Weight up to 70 kg, Baltic specimens weigh up to 100 kg. Males are usually somewhat larger than females. Ringed seals have good eyesight, as well as excellent hearing and smell.

Spreading

In addition to them, there are two notable freshwater subspecies: Ladoga ( P.h. ladogensis) and Saimaa ( P.h. saimensis).

Behavior

Ringed seals do not form colonies, but live alone. Sometimes they can be seen in small groups that are not connected by particularly strong ties. They are well adapted to being at sea all year round.

Images

The image of a seal can be found on the coats of arms of cities.

Economic importance

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Notes

Excerpt characterizing the ringed seal

“There is no way to fight in this position,” he said. Kutuzov looked at him in surprise and forced him to repeat the words he had said. When he spoke, Kutuzov extended his hand to him.
“Give me your hand,” he said, and, turning it so as to feel his pulse, he said: “You’re not well, my dear.” Think about what you are saying.
Kutuzov on Poklonnaya Hill, six miles from the Dorogomilovskaya outpost, got out of the carriage and sat down on a bench at the edge of the road. A huge crowd of generals gathered around him. Count Rastopchin, having arrived from Moscow, joined them. This whole brilliant society, divided into several circles, talked among themselves about the advantages and disadvantages of the position, about the position of the troops, about the proposed plans, about the state of Moscow, and about military issues in general. Everyone felt that although they had not been called to this, although it was not called that, it was a council of war. The conversations were all kept in the area of general issues. If anyone reported or learned personal news, it was said in a whisper, and they immediately went back to general questions: no jokes, no laughter, no smiles were even noticeable between all these people. Everyone, obviously with effort, tried to stay at the height of the situation. And all the groups, talking among themselves, tried to stay close to the commander-in-chief (whose shop was the center in these circles) and spoke so that he could hear them. The commander-in-chief listened and sometimes asked questions about what was being said around him, but he himself did not enter into the conversation and did not express any opinion. For the most part Having listened to the conversation of some circle, he turned away with a look of disappointment - as if they were talking about something completely different from what he wanted to know. Some spoke about the chosen position, criticizing not so much the position itself as the mental abilities of those who chose it; others argued that a mistake had been made earlier, that the battle should have been fought on the third day; still others talked about the Battle of Salamanca, which the Frenchman Crosard, who had just arrived in a Spanish uniform, told about. (This Frenchman, together with one of the German princes who served in the Russian army, dealt with the siege of Saragossa, foreseeing the opportunity to also defend Moscow.) In the fourth circle, Count Rastopchin said that he and the Moscow squad were ready to die under the walls of the capital, but that everything yet he cannot help but regret the uncertainty in which he was left, and that if he had known this before, things would have been different... The fifth, showing the depth of their strategic considerations, talked about the direction that the troops would have to take. The sixth spoke complete nonsense. Kutuzov's face became more and more concerned and sadder. From all the conversations of these Kutuzovs I saw one thing: there was no way to defend Moscow. physical ability V full meaning these words, that is, it was not possible to such an extent that if some crazy commander-in-chief had given the order to start a battle, then confusion would have occurred and the battle would not have happened after all; it would not have been because all the top leaders not only recognized this position as impossible, but in their conversations they discussed only what would happen after the undoubted abandonment of this position. How could commanders lead their troops on a battlefield they considered impossible? The lower commanders, even the soldiers (who also reason), also recognized the position as impossible and therefore could not go to fight with the certainty of defeat. If Bennigsen insisted on defending this position and others were still discussing it, then this question no longer mattered in itself, but mattered only as a pretext for dispute and intrigue. Kutuzov understood this.

Subclass: Theria Parker et Haswell, 1879= Viviparous mammals, true animals

Infraclass: Eutheria, Placentalia Gill, 1872= Placental, higher animals

Order: Pinnipedia Illiger, 1811 = Pinnipeds

Family: Phocidae Brooker, 1828 = Seals, true [earless] seals

Subspecies: Pusa hispida botnica Gmelin, 1788 = Baltic seal

Subspecies: Pusa hispida ladogensis Nordquist, 1899 = Ladoga seal

Subspecies: Pusa hispida saimensis Nordquist, 1899 = Saiman seal

The ringed seal, or akiba (Pusa hispida), is covered with coarse blackish-brown fur with numerous white rings irregular shape. The body length of an adult male is up to 1.8 m.

This is the only seal of all that builds a nest for its young. In March or April, when the ice begins to break, the female makes a burrow in a snowdrift with a tunnel leading to a vent and water. Newborns (sometimes twins) are covered with snow-white soft fur (the pup stage), which after a month gives way to darker fur.

The ringed seal appears to travel the furthest north of any mammal; It spends most of the year in ice-covered bays and fiords. In autumn, as the water freezes, the animal does not migrate south, but makes holes in the ice, to which it regularly swims up to breathe and rest. Sometimes this leads to a sad result, since a hunter with a harpoon or polar bear. Usually the seal spends 8–9 minutes under water, but if necessary, it can remain there for up to 20 minutes. When she surfaces, she manages to stock up on air for the next dive in 45 seconds.

The ringed seal is distributed circumpolarly in the Arctic Ocean, reaching as far south as Labrador and the Bering Sea.

There are four subspecies of ringed seal: Ringed seal (Phoca hispida hispida); Baltic ringed seal (Phoca hispida botnica); Ladoga seal (Phoca hispida ladogensis); Seal of Lake Saimaa in Finland (Phoca hispida saimensis)

Species: Pusa hispida Schreber = Ringed seal, ringed seal, akiba

Status: In Russia, the ringed seal is a commercial target. Not a CITES subject. Only the Ladoga subspecies is listed in the Red Book of Russia (category 3).

Currently in Russia industrial production There are no ringed seals. Several hundred heads are caught annually by the population of coastal areas for their own needs.

The heyday of industrial production of the species in our country occurred in the 1950-60s. when annually it reached tens of thousands of individuals (for example, in 1962, 13,570 seals were caught in the Barents and White Seas alone).

Appearance, weight: An adult animal averages 1.0-1.2 m in length and 50-80 kg in weight. A newborn calf is 0.6 m in length and about 4 kg in weight. Newborn cubs have white juvenile fur, which after 4-6 weeks changes to gray with dark rings, which is how the animal got its name.

Life cycle: The ringed seal is a typical pagophilic species, i.e. her life cycle closely related to the ice cover. Ringed seals become sexually mature at the age of 5-7 years. Mating occurs in January-March. Pregnancy lasts 11 months. In February-March, the female gives birth to one calf, which she nurses for 5-7 weeks. Molting takes place in the summer. Life expectancy is up to 40 years.

From the moment the ice cover forms, the pregnant female makes a maternity den in the ice. The lair is a shelter among the hummocks, connected to the water by a hole in the ice. By the time of whelping, the den is completely covered with snow and has no access to the surface. During the winter, the female maintains about a dozen similar shelters under the snow for resting and breathing and gives birth to a cub in one of them. For 5-7 weeks the cub remains in the den and does not go into the water.

Distribution: The ringed seal is distributed in all Arctic seas, as well as in the Barents and Okhotsk seas. The Baltic Sea and Lake Ladoga are inhabited by independent subspecies (Baltic and Ladoga seals). The distribution of the species largely depends on the ice cover of the water bodies on which these seals breed. It is believed that the species is not characterized by extended migrations, and local movements depend on the availability of food and changes in ice conditions.

Number: Ringed seal is one of the most numerous species marine mammals. Determining the number of seals, like other marine mammals, is extremely difficult. All assessments existing today are largely of an expert nature.

According to a rough expert estimate, the number of the species in the world is 1.2 million.

Diet: The diet of the ringed seal consists of various types of fish and zooplankton. The predominance of one species or another in the diet depends on the season and area of habitat of the ringed seal. In every specific area habitat, the diet of the seal can number 10-15 various types, with an absolute predominance of 2-4 of them. The maximum body length of ringed seal victims does not exceed 20 cm. In the Arctic seas great importance has a polar cod (Boreogadus saida).

Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) is one of the most abundant fish in the Arctic seas. The most important food item for more large fish, marine mammals and birds.

Threats: Like other marine mammals, the greatest threat to the ringed seal currently comes from pollution in the world's oceans. In addition, premature destruction of ice cover due to abnormally warm winter weather or icebreaking ships can lead to the death of a significant proportion of newborn calves. http://www.2mn.org/ru/mammals/species/ringed.htm#life